Card filing equipment



June 6, 1950 G. c. BRUEN CARD FILING EQUIPMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 28, 1946 IN V EN TOR.

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data/KW June 6, 1950 I v c. BRUEN 2,510,924

' CARD FILING EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 28, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 1 6. m,m 54- 1 Tm ie-azw June 6, 1950 I G. c. BRUEN CARD FILING EQUIPMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug 28, 1946 INVENTOR- h M,W

June 6, 1950 G. c. BRUEN 2,510,924

CARD FILING EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 28, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 6, 1950 CARD: FILING EQUIPMENT George QiBi-uem-deceased, l'aiteoi: Chicago; lit; by Sophie E. Bruengbxecutrix;Ghicagoyill. Application Augusti2'8, 1946,, Serial No.1693Q455 (owns) This invention rePa-tes to c'a r'd filing equipment and more especially to-rotary card irid'exes of-the kind in which the-cards are' detachably connected to"theperiphery-"of:amounting drum or Wheelhaving a: horizontel aicis of rotation.

One of the majornovel'features of'this invention residesin a structureeuiatptedto fabrication largely from sheet meter by" relatively inexpensive processes and including the K combination of a rota-tattle mounting chum amide plurality of cardhoiding I trays are quickly attachable to and detachable from the mounting drum *and whichywhen detached; areweidapted to-rest on a flat horizontal surface-such es e desk top-;-so thtt the cards -ca 'rri'edi therebyocen conveniently be examiner 7 Itpreviousl'y hes been proposed- -see', for ex-- ample; United statesflPatent N092168323bf Aug t st 8',{15939=,*anc1 United States-Patent No: 2 240,325 or April 293194 hboth- Issuecf to George CIBr-uemto providea; 'caird holdir ig tray adapted to rest on adesk an'd to receive -and 'suppofit a section of card track, with th'e eard's 'thereom" but in those instances the ceJr olding.trayHioes not form a part-of-the or rotary index but is, instead, a; 'seherate" h'd distinct entity which either'takes up 'desk space when not actuallyinuse or must be stowedi some avail'ableplace,- whiehmay not ai whys be-ficonvenie'ntly accessible. And, where it may be necessar toha ve several: card track :sections detachee from the drum sin niltaheously, it ie'necessarytoprovide' enough traiys 'on adapters to ex;oommooiarte* the probable maximum number *of deta'ched trays. The: present invention avoids-the necessity 'ofproviding 'stoi age space for anauxihary tray or trays or similar Supports, by" incorporating 1 such supports as removable units in thefstruotureof the rotelry irmex inselm whenever a section or g1 o1 tp==of cerds is removed from the index wheel, the-tray: or othen support comes: with it; and" the us'eriis enebledi immediately to setithe detached group? of cards on. his tlesl z complete: readiness for inspections Another feature of this invention res-ides in a, novel mi? highly economical" construction of" the men dunne -Which; in: order toaiccomniodate thefdetazchezble card trays, isma der preferably of polygonal form; having afl'xplurality of flat, tangentiel: peripheral surfaces conforming to the fiat bottom: surf aces of: theiseVeral trays, and each of. a. size to alcc'ornmodate one tray, individually.

fitiilrianother feature"of'theihvention has to do wtth a novel; provisiomfor connecting the sevraL'caJ-rd trays" to the peripheryof the mounting 2 drum in such manherthat theyere quickly we easily detachable individuall y.

According" to oneembodiment of the invention the'card's are mounted on the index wheel or drum sectional-rowsextending peripherally thereof and" forming a -coiitinhous --se1'ies encircling the drum, whereas in ar iother embodiment each card"- carryi'ng tray"su-1 a'poi-ts=*-its-=cards in a; row extending transversehref the drum and'in the latter case the cardtmys are slidebly mounted so thateach tray; with its respective cards",'can be withdrawnfrom the drum laterally. also constitutes one of the novel features of the-in- Ventidn.

The principelobj'ects of this-invention will be apparent from tne above enuinerattion-ofnovel features; Additibn'tl objects and novel features wi'IT' be brolight' ot rtes incidents to the detailed description hereinafter.

In the fourshe'ets -of drawings-which accompany this specihceltionz Fig. 1 is a: side devotional viewofe rotary card indexaccor ding -to one ofthe preferred embodi-- merits of the invention Fig. Zis' a vertical transverse section takerr at Fig. 4'i11ustrates a-'eard suitaible for use withfihe subject rotar index;

Fig; 5 isan enlergewfi'agmentary view;part1y in-secti'on and partiy fn elevation, showingdetails' of'con'struetiorr oi the mounting'fdmm emiti11us'-- trating the manner of attaching" and-detaching the carkf trays -"t'o z'md from the periphery ofthe drum;

Fig. 6 is a; fragmentary plan view taken at line 5 ;60f FfgQ5';

Figs. 8;"9 and? I illustrate an: alternative embodiment of th vention; Fig. 8 being :2; sectionar View take etiline 8-8 (if-Fig; I0- ;F-ig. 9 a: Viewv Iooliihg ahthe periphery of thedrum, witn one of the card trays removed'y arid Fig. I0 a:- sectional: View taken axiswise of the drum and showing details of: the card i'tray and the'spring". clip tor yield'ahIyr retalinihg'the same in normalposition on the drum' "That embodiment" of: the invention-which is shown: in Figs: 1 170 8- inclusive, comprisesa, sheetmetal housing I'D' maide' princiiaally' of steel plates welded together-and providedwith four sheet metal suppo'rtihg"Tags t. "The: housing is open at the top, between points l2 and I3, to provide access to the cards therein; but it may be closed when not in use by an arcuate sheet metal hood I4 which is mounted for rotation about the axial center of the housing and provided with an outwardly extending flange or lip l4a which serves both to limit the movement of the hood, in both directions, and to afford a finger hold for operating the hood.

Welded or otherwise secured to the respective interior surfaces of the two side walls of housing II] are a pair of oppositely disposed bearing blocks I5 and I B which provide bearings for both the hood I4 and an index wheel or drum which is desi nated as a whole by reference numeral IT.

The index wheel includes a cross shaft 18,

journaled at its ends in the bearing blocks and I6, which are bored axially to afford bearings for the shaft and slotted radially, as indicated at H) and (Figs. 1, 2 and 3), to permit the index wheel to be lifted bodily from its bearings and from the housing.

A cylindrical hub 2| is fixedly secured to shaft l8 and is rotatable therewith. Said hub spans the space between the opposing faces of bearing blocks I5 and I6, and thus serves to locate index wheel [1 axially between the housing walls.

Attached to and extending radially from hub 2| are four spokes 22 of a hand wheel 23 having an annular tubular rim 24 which is welded to the outer ends of said spokes. Hand wheel 23 serves to facilitate manual rotation of the index wheel.

As depicted most clearly in Figs. 2 and 5, hub 2| has eight peripheral slots 25 equally spaced circumferentially and each'adapted to receive a wedge block 26 and the inner edge portion of a sheet metal radially extending spoke 21a forming one leg of a generally V-shaped sheet metal element 21 which includes a peripheral rim portion 211) and an inwardly directed radial flange 210. Each wedge block 26 is secured to hub 2| by means such as a pair of capscrews '28 which are threaded into the hub; and each serves firmly to clamp to the hub the immediately adjacent spoke 21a.

Each inwardly directed flange 210 is welded or otherwise secured to the spoke portion 21a of the next adjacent V-shaped element 21; and, as will be apparent, the several elements 21 constitute sectors forming, conjointly, a polygonal sheet metal wheel structure which completely encompasses the hub and, in the disclosed embodiment, has eight fiat peripheral surfaces constituting the sides of an octagon.

The hub 2| and shaft l8, together with the structure composed of the sheet metal elements 21, constitute what is herein referred to as a mounting drum, on the periphery of which are detachably mounted a number of card-holding trays 29 equal to the number of flat surfaces on the drum. Each tray 29 is composed of a sheet metal member 30 having a bottom plate 30a, two side walls 3% and 300, a high end wall 30d and a low end wall tile. As viewed in Fig. '7, the cross section of each tray has the form of a channel; and the upper edges of the side walls 30b and 300 are each curved in concentric relationship to the axis of the mounting drum. Welded or otherwise secured to the arcuate upper edge of each side wall 30b, 330 is a bar 3| of round cross section. Each of said bars extends from the high wall 39d to a point 32 somewhat beyond the front edge of the tray, as shown in Fig. 5. The overhanging end 32 of each bar 3] is slotted, as shown of the tail pieces.

in Fig. 6, to receive a flange 33 forming an integral part of the high end wall 30d of the next adjacent card tray. This serves to avoid the presence of a gap between the ends of the card-carrying bars of one tray and the high end wall of the next tray, through which gap cards might become unintentionally detached; and it also aids in lining up the trays on the drum.

Each bar 3| with its supporting side wall 302) or 360 forms a card track, the pair of which are spaced laterally in correspondence with the spacing of two keyhole shaped notches 34 in the lower edge of each card 35, an exemplary embodiment of which is shown in Fig. 4. The cards are attached to the tracks by notches 34, and each tray is capable of accommodating a large number of cards. Groups of cards may be threaded onto the tracks at the front end thereof, the end wall 36c being low enough to afford no obstruction, and they may be withdrawn from the same end of the track when the tray is lifted at the front end, as shown in dot and dash lines -in Fig. 5, or is removed from the drum. Individual cards or small numbers thereof may, however, be withdrawn or placed upon the tracks, without moving the trays, by force applied to the cards which distorts the lower portions of cards adjacent the slots. The rear end wall 30d is high enough to form a backstop for the cards, thus enabling the tray to be lifted at its front end and removed from the drum without any of the cards becoming detached.

Extending outwardly in a radial direction from each rim portion 21b, and integral therewith, are a pair of laterally spaced lugs 36, to each of which is rigidly secured a pin 31. Lugs 38 are spaced axially of the drum an amount sufficient to receive between them the rear end of a tray; and the two side walls 301) and 300 are each notched at 38 (see Fig. 5) to engage said pins 31. Pins 31 serve to anchor and locate the back ends of their repsective trays, while the front end of each tray is detachably secured to the drum by a pair of latch members 39, 40 which are pivotally mounted on a shaft 4 I, the two ends of which are journaled in a pair of lugs 42 which are integral with their respectively associated rim portions 21b and project inwardly in a radial direction therefrom. The two latch members 39 and 40 project through apertures 43 in the rim portion and through registering apertures 44 in the bottom plate Sim of the card tray. The hook ends of the latches overlie and bear down upon the bottom plate of the card tray, as shown in Fig. 5, and thus serve to hold down the front end of the tray. Each latch member 39, 40, or at least one of them, has an integral tail piece 39a, 400. which, preferably, is curved arcuately about the axis of shaft 4| and projects through aligned openings 45, 46 in rim portion 21b and bottom rotate together, thereby making it unnecessaryv to depress both tail pieces manually at one time to remove a tray. The operator thus has one hand free to lift the front end of the released card tray, while the other is used to depress one The two latch members of jacent spoke. 251a.

Each tray .2.9- with i the cards-thereon can. be removed bodily from: the upon releasing. the latch and. cart-easily be restored toathedrumnwhen notlongerzneeded for reference. Vilherr removed firom the drum, each tray'iis; adap-ted by reason of its smooth flat bGttOZEflg to reston the top ot a desk-tor other convenient-fiat supportingsurface, thus; enabling the (userv -to examine the cards in comfort and without requiringtthe useoias-pecial: adapter ion the card tracks.

V In-the alternativastructure of Figs. r31 to is, inclusive .theimounting drum construction-is substantially. identical wi-thi that illustrated Figs. 1" to- 7.,x inclusive; and; previously described-lexcept as hereinafter pointed out.

Instead of the.- handswheelr zt, there issubstitute in thestructurer-of; Figs. 8 to; l-fis-a-seriesiof bail-like handles? 49,- each-. comprisingahent: rod having two legs fifi and fiiia weldedeat their two ends to opposite ed-gesofa a: spoke 211a,. and-a cross member b. having a: tubular rubber: covering it -.wh-ich serves: :as a grip: The index wheel :is rotatable by. manual force: appliedto; handlesv 49 Punched Tout toffeachri-m .portion: 22b are four cars 52 which areabent to for-m coniointl-y aa pair of guides in: which are-slidably' mounted a card tray-'53 Each trayis slidazble. ineitsaguides axially of the as: clearly indicated; in Fig 1c; and the row eoflcarde54=-exte1ida transversely ofthe drum and:longitudinally:of the' tray.

Each "portion-2th of: the alternative strmrture' has-anruptimned extension 55 integral there'- withWhiChTSQIVSLBjSfiE backs-top: for: the: cardsion a: tray Thezlatter canibewlthdraw-n i-roimithe drumsat: one side only, as indicated: by the dot and dash outline in: 10, .wh'ereih t-axa tray is depicted? as partially withdravm:

Each?- card: tray: 53? comprisesi a' bottomplateififi two spaced side-walls: 51?, 58', ahigh front wall as; and a: low: "back: wall so, alii oi are-one piece of: sheet'metalgi Whichi is bent ati'theismction's of the bottom plateflanid side WaH'SltOi iorrn outwardly extending opposite flanges 61g 82 which are slfl'ably engaged by cars 52. Two

round bars 3 63, 5d are fixedly attached --to the upper edge portions of side walls 5?, 53: :and these;togethera'wiithithe side walls, constitute a pairv o'i'tracksz onvchicii the-cards ts are mounted. Cards 54 may be identical wiith "cardsitii shown in Fig. 4.

For the purposeof yi'eldably retaining the card tray inits. normaLpositio-n cnthedrum, there is attached to each rim portionllh. a leaf spring 65 having a detent portion 66 which projects through an aperture in said rim: portion and engages a. registering aperture in bottom plate'156 of theitra'yi When-the card tray is. withdrawn, eitheripartially.or-"fully,v the back, end ot-the track. unobstructed andcards can consequently lbef withdrawn invgroups. from the traokzorrapp-li'edi there'- 509151.11? the:trackwilllholdithe. cards in neatly? upright posture, as shown in Fig. 19, without any additional rear support. Thus the tray can be wholly withdrawn from the drum and placed on a desk top for reference without any likelihood of cards becoming detached from the track. Individual cards may be separately removed from the track without removal of a tray.

11mm specifie embodiments of: aiithersinverition haveheerrshowm and describedby way or-exam- ;plecbut e-.-niiderstoo.dr:'that1- the scope-10f the invention :ai'S nota-to-ibe: reearded zas: zlimited exceptias;indicatedby the terms oiithe-r appended "barsaeaclr securedito. the ireeedg e ofzrone :01 said sidewalk and: ilorming: therewith:- arcardlioiding tracka la'zsp'ai e1" tray; ahcl'iorin-g.epin'r; carried? by said ixd-rums for GaShJOf SEIidEitI ayS individually, eachltray: beingin'otched atone end; to: engage its associated: anchoring-pins for irdetachably-1 securing: that'tendawofa-the tray to. thEidlHlIljifiMdfififllH- razlityaotspringtlatches carried by s :drum; one tonieach c giieac'hz spring latch is net adapted to rtileasa'bly? engage" the? other-"end ofwits associ ated tray; said :anche'ring'rpins-t and latch-2s: being operative, cenjointly';odetacha bly to se'cnrei their maps cnnrferentially-an demanding axially thereof, and-ita framework: carried byvsaid: hub and en'- citdliiig; the sameaand hav-ihg a polygonal periphery concentric withithe hubysaid trameworktcem prisingea; plurality of: Vs-shaped andv integral sheeti' metals' elementaeacirscomprisingi tworma-jo-r mid -portions; one: of the majcrrfiat; portions of each?said:elementrformingcone side: ct said polygone-'1 periphery whilel thei other majoirilatrportion forms awoke-extending: radially from? thei nub and havingona edge inserted in orieof sai-d slots; individually; 2ind '-anchoredv therein, said "V'- shaped elements beingz connectedi together to form -an articiilated structur-e;arida a plurality of card-holding trays detachably connected totth'e periphery? ofs-aid d'rurn and rotatable therewith.

3 '-In a: rotary" ihd'exyasheet Y metalhousing havihgtan opening" t the top for access-to the interior thereof, a=- pair of bearing blocks carried by saidhousing -interiorly-thereef and spaced apart-a shaft journaled-atits two ends in said hlockswa huh mounted on said sha-ftbetween said blocksand rotatable therewith; a drum including said hub a-nd' asheet metal framewerk mounted on-aird' encircling the said d'ru'n'rhaving a polygonal rim, said framework comprising "a plurality or'idienticai'sheet metal' elements; each or-saidelements comprising a spoke portion and a; rim portiomone *end-of'eacn sp'cke portion beingconnected *to said huhy said' rim porticn's'be ing secured together end to "end"; 'aplurality of card-holding" trays" adapted? to be attached; individually, to" said rirn portions "and supported thereby, each. of said trays comprising a flatbottom plate seatedpn its-supporting"- rim portion, exteriorly thereof, a pair of spaced side walls integral with the bottom plate, and a pair of bars secured respectively to the outer edges of said side walls and extending parallel thereto peripherally of the drum, a pair of anchoring pins for each of said rim portions and carried. thereby,

each of said trays being notched at one end for anchoring engagement by its associated anchor ing pins, and a plurality of latches, one for each said rim portion, each of said latches being pivotally supported at the inner side of its associated rim portion, each latch comprising a hook portion and a tail piece, said hook portion extending through an opening in the rim portion and an opening in the bottom plate of the tray and adapted to latchingly engage said bottom plate for securing the tray to the drum in cooperation with said anchoring pins, said tail piece extending through an opening in the rim portion and through an opening in said bottom plate to the interior of the tray, spring means biasing said latch toward latching position, said latch being releasable by manually depressing said t'ail piece.

4. Card filing equipment comprising a drum having a horizontal axis of rotation, said drum having a sheet metal rim, a pair of laterally spaced lugs attached to said rim and projecting outwardly therefrom in a radial direction, a pair of anchoring pins each carriedby one of said lugs individually and having a common axis which is parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum, a second pair of laterally spaced lugs attached to said rim and projecting inwardly therefrom toward the axis of the drum, said first and second pairs of lugs being spaced apart peripherally of the drum, a shaft carried by said second pair of lugs interiorly of said rim and extending parallel to said axis of rotation, a pair of latch members pivotally mounted on said shaft and spaced apart lengthwise thereof, said latch members each comprising a hook portion extending through an opening in said rim and projecting outwardly from said rim, means joining said latch members to effect unified rotation thereof, spring means biasing said latch members toward latched position, and a card-holding tray having a bottom plate resting on said rim, said tray being notched at one end to engage said anchoring pins whereby to anchor that end of the tra to the rim, said bottom plate having openings through which said hook portions extend, said hook portions latchingly engaging said bottom plate and functioning to releasably secure said tray to the rim at the end thereof remote from said anchoring pms.

5. Card filing equipment comprising a drum having a horizontal axis of rotation, said drum comprising an axial hub having a plurality of peripheral slots extending lengthwise thereof and spaced circumferentially, a plurality of identical sectors conjointly encircling said hub, each of said sectors consisting of a sheet metal element comprising a spoke portion and a rim portion, one end of each spoke portion being inserted in one of said slots, a plurality of wedge blocks disposed individually in said slots and operative to anchor the spoke portion therein to said hub, said rim portions having end flanges thereon for joining adjacent rim portions in series to form a substantially continuous rim encircling said hub and concentric therewith, each of said rim. portions being fiat, thereby rendering the rim of the drum polygonal in form as viewed edgewise.

6. Card filing equipment comprising a drum having a horizontal axis of rotation, said drum comprising an axial hub and a plurality of sectors conjointly encircling said hub, each of said sectors consisting of a sheet metal element comprising a spoke member and a rim member, one end of said spoke member being connected to said hub and the other end to one end of the rim member, said rim members being joined in series to form a rim completely encircling said hub and concentric therewith, and a plurality of U-shaped handles projecting radially from said drum, each handle comprising a pair of legs and a cross member interconnecting said legs, said legs being connected to opposite edges, respectively, of one of said spoke members.

7. Card filing equipment comprising a rotatable drum including integrally formed spokes and peripheral sections each made of a single sheet of metal having parallel ends and opposed side edge portions including parallel and angularly disposed parts, said peripheral sections being secured together, each of said sheets of metal also being formed at the parallel ends thereof to provide attaching portions, a plurality of card-holding trays, each of which is capable of supporting itself in upright position on a desk top and including means for holding a plurality of cards in a row, and means for releasably securing said trays individually to the periphery of said drum, whereby said trays can be individually removed from and attached to said drum.

8. Card filing equipment comprising a rotatable drum having a horizontal axis of rotation and a supporting structure made of similar integrally formed sheet metal sections secured together, each of said integral sections including a spoke portion having thereon a hub flange and a flat peripheral portion having a flange for abutment with an adjacent section, a plurality of card-holding trays carried by said drum at the periphery thereof and disposed thereabout in concentric relationship to said axis, each of said trays comprising a card-holding track and a bottom plate by which it is attached to the drum, said bottom plate being adapted to serve as a base for supporting said track and the cards thereon in an upright position when the tray is removed from the drum and placed on a desk top or other horizontal supporting surface, and latch means for detachably holding each tray in position on one of the fiat peripheral sections of the drum.

SOPHIE E. BRUEN, Eccecutria: of the Last Will and Testament of George C. Bruen, Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,028,593 Naumann June 4, 1912 2,086,509 Mueller July 6, 1937 2,213,825 Seeley Sept. 3, 1940 2,343,280 Cory Mar. 7, 1944 2,424,144 Bruen Jul 15, 1947 2,441,717 Nero May 18, 1948 

